Counting circuit

ABSTRACT

In an electrophotographic copying machine which copies in different magnification modes onto copy paper of appropriate width, a counter circuit is provided for indicating the area of sheet material fed past a sensing device. A further counter circuit provides a weighted sum of paper lengths.

United States Patent 1 Throp 1 1 COUNTING CIRCUIT [75] Inventor: Peter Mattinson Throp, Uplands,

England [73] Assignee: Rank Xerox, Ltd., London, England [22] Filed: June 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 371,454

[52] US. Cl. 235/92 SB; 235/92 DN; 235/92 R; 355/14; 235/92 DM [51] Int. Cl. G06B 27/06 [58] Field of Search 235/92 DN, 92 TC, 92 CC, 235/92 FL, 92 CN, 92 SB, 92 LG; 355/14 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1966 Berlinsky 235/92 DN [451 Oct. 28, 1975 3,323,527 6/1967 Wu 235/92 CN 3,601,585 8/1971 Paulsen.... 235/92 DN 3,604,903 9/1971 H111 235/92 FL 3,632,996 1/1972 Paine 235/92 LG 3,678,253 7/1972 Johnston 235/92 FL 3,729,619 4/1973 Laycak 235/92 DN 3,748,443 7/1973 1(101] 235/92 TC 3,764,784 10/1973 Haner 235/92 CC Primary Examiner-Joseph M. Thesz, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT In an electrophotographic copying machine which copies in different magnification modes onto copy paper of appropriate width, a counter circuit is provided for indicating the area of sheet material fed past a sensing device. A further counter circuit provides a weighted sum of paper lengths.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 FIG I U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,916,171

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mi llkmw Q Eh F $1 QR COUNTING CIRCUIT This invention relates to counting circuits. The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, useful as a billing arrangement for a copying machine, that is to say as an arrangement for recording the amount of copy paper used by a copying machine, so that an appropriate charge can be made to the user of the machine.

In copending pat. application Ser. No. 371,654, filed on even date herewith, there is described an electrophotographic copying machine which copies in three magnification modes (100 percent, 70 percent and 50 percent) onto copy paper of appropriate width. In such a machine, it is desirable to know the total area of copy paper used, and also a weighted sum of paper lengths used. It is an object of the present invention to provide circuits which will supply this information.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a counter circuit for providing an in dication of the area of sheets fed past a sensing device, the circuit being responsive to the sensed widths of said sheets to supply a series of pulses having a frequency related to the sensed width for a length of time related to the length of said sheet.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a counting circuit including an oscillator which is adapted to be started by each one of a series of drive pulses to supply a series of oscillator pulses to each one of two dividing circuits, the first dividing circuit being coupled via a pre-set stopping circuit to stop the oscillator after a predetermined number of oscillator pulses have been supplied through said first divider circuit, and the second divider circuit being adapted to divide said predetermined number of oscillator pulses which it receives by a fixed number, to pass any integral quotient to a counter, and to store the remainder.

Preferably, a plurality of said pre-set stopping circuits are incorporated, one of said stopping circuits being selected in accordance with the number of oscillator pulses which it is desired to supply to said second divider circuit.

Counting circuits in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The counting circuits are described, by way of example only, in connection with the copying machine discussed above. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a counter circuit for providing an indication of the weighted sum of copy paper lengths used in a copying machine; and

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a counter circuit for providing an indication of the total area of copy paper used in a copying machine.

In the copying machine discussed above, the speed at which copy paper travels through the machine is 8 inches per second. The following description will be based on such a speed, but it is clear that this speed is chosen by way of example only, and that in similar circumstances any other appropriate speed could be used. When working with this machine, it is convenient to use units of one foot for counting purposes, it being possible to work with pulses supplied at a rate of 1 pulse per foot of copy paper by supplying one pulse every 1.5 seconds.

The object of recording the weighted sum of paper lengths is to ensure that the operator of the machine does not always use the 50 or 70 percent magnification modes in order to achieve a cost saving. In other words,

when the operator uses a reduction mode, he may be charged at a higher rate than the direct footage rate, to compensate for the increased information density he has obtained. As an example, if there were no weighting factor, and the operator always used the 50 percent mode, his costs would always be halved compared with making 100 percent sized copies. If on the other hand a weighted billing factor of 2 were introduced, it could be made twice as expensive to make copies in the 50 percent mode as in the 100 percent mode for a given size of copy. Clearly some compromise factor lying between 1.0 and 2.0 would be best, and the circuit is designed to accomodate this range of weighting factors for the 50 percent mode. Applying similar considerations in the percent mode, a weighting factor in the range of about 1.0 to about 1.4 would be desirable. Again, this circuit has been designed to accommodate this range of weighting factors. Clearly, if these reduced modes are weighted, there is no need for a weighting factor for the percent mode.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the weighting factor is introduced by feeding a series of one pulse per foot pulses into the counting circuit shown, which has an output of pulses that are counted by counter CTR 4. The pulses are fed to the counter CTR 4 by a divide by 40 circuit K 2, so for every 40 pulses received by the circuit K 2, one pulse is added to the count on counter CTR 4. Each input pulse, (i.e. each of the one pulse per foot pulses) activates a pulse generator K 1 which in turn initiates the generation of a fixed number of pulses that are fed into the divide by 40 circuit. If, for example, the weighting factor required in the 70 percent mode is 1.325, the pulse generator is arranged (by means of a billing card to be described below) to provide an output of 53 pulses, (which when divided by 40 gives the required billing factor). Thus, for every pulse of the one pulse per foot pulses fed into the pulse generator, 53 pulses are fed to the divide by 40 circuit. This causes a count of one to be added to the counter CTR 4, the remainder of 13 pulses remaining in store in the divider circuit. Next time a pulse is received, a further 53 counts are supplied to the divide by 40 circuit, and once again a count of one is added to the counter and the total remainder stored in the divider circuit is now 26 pulses. As soon as the stored remainder exceeds 40 an additional count is placed on the counter, any residue again being stored.

The pulse generator is arranged to generate the desired number of pulses (by means of respective billing cards) in each of the 50 percent and 70 percent modes, but in the case of the 100 percent mode, it is arranged that for every input pulse, 40 pulses are supplied to the divider circuit so as always to provide a count of one on the counter CTR 4, thus holding any residue from a previous operation in either of the other two modes.

The one pulse per foot pulses are fed into gate G1 of a latching (bistable) pair of gates G1 and G2. Using positive logic, the 1 output of Gate G1 starts a pulse generator K1 of, for example, 100 Hz. The output of this pulse generator is fed to two dividing circuits, the first dividing circuit being a divide by 40 circuit K2, the output of which drives counter CIR 4 via a driving circuit K3, and the second dividing circuit being a divide by 128 circuit K4. The driving circuit K3 is enabled when the machine is running. All the outputs of this second divider are taken to two stopping circuits in the form of pre-wired billing cards K5 and K6 which separate from the billing unit on sockets, and which are easily changed. The billing cards are wired to sense a given count number corresponding to the desired weighting .factor. Two cars K5 and K6 are used, to accomodate mode it is arranged that X is and Y is 1. Gates G and G6 simply generate the inverse of and Y. Gate G4 is disabled by and its output is l permanently. Gate G is enabled by the inverse of X (the output of gate I G6). Gate G7 is enabled by Y, and Gate G8 is disabled by the inverse of Y (the output from Gate G5). A reset path is thus established from the 70 percent billing card K5 via gates G12, G7, G9, G10 and G3, to reset gate G2 of the bi-stable pair of gates G1, G2, the output of gate G2 then resetting the divide by 128 circuit K4 via a monostable K7. Thus on receipt of 9 footage input signal, the pulse generator K1 will give out the number of pulses determined by the wiring on the 70 percent billing card K5.

mentioned above, the effective output of the divide by 40 circuit K2 will be the number set on the billing .card K5 divided by 40. Thus in the example given above, with the card wired at 53, the effective output will be 1.325.

If input X is 0 and input Y is 0 the reset path for gates G1 andG2 is established through gates G13, G8, G9, G10 and G3, i.e. via the 50 percent billing card K6, which has a number range above 80, so including factors up to and including 2.

If input X is 1, regardless of the state of input Y, the reset circuit is by way of gates G11, G4, and G3. The

. input to gate G11 is permanently wired to give a count of 40 (a weighting factor of l) for the 100 percent mode.

The above described mode of operation ensures that any remainder in the divide by 40 counter is preserved.

. Referring now to FIG. 2, counter CTR 5 indicates the total area, in square feet, of copy paper used. It is intended that the machine accommodate three standard roll widths, 24 inches, 18 inches, and 12 inches, or 2 .feet, 1% feet and 1 foot respectively. Since it is re- ;quired to indicate the square footage on the area meter,

the product of footage count with the appropriate facused, a sensing device constituted by a set of four microswitches M834, M835, M850 and M851, is provided in the copy paper feed unit of the machine. Mi-

vcroswitches M834 and MS50 are situated 6 inches on I either side of the centre line of the paper feed path, and

microswitches M835 and M851 are situated 9 inches on either side of the centre line. All the microswitches are change-over microswitches, as shown in FIG. 2. Thus if none of the microswitches are actuated, the microswitch circuit provides an output indicating a 12 inch wide copy paper sheet. If either or both of switches M834 and MS50 are actuated, an output is provided indicating that the copy paper is 18 inches wide. If any three microswitches are actuated, including either or both of M835 and M850, the output of the microswitch circuit is such as to indicate a 24 inch wide copy paper roll.

If copy paper is deliberately fed off-centre, with the intention of cheating the billing system, it will be seen that if microswitches M834 and MS35 are actuated, a 24 inch copy paper width is signalled, whatever its actual width. Similarly, if only M850 and M851 are actuated, an 18 inch width is indicated regardless of the actual width.

If the microswitches M834, M835, M850, M851 indicate that a 24 inch wide copy paper sheet is present, gate G14 is enabled, thereby allowing 2 pulse per foot pulses to be fed to the area counter CI'R 5. If an 18 inch width is indicated, gate G15 is enabled, thereby allowing 1% pulse per foot pulses to be fed to CTR 5. If a 12 inch width is indicated (the condition shown in FIG. 2), gate G16 is enabled, thereby allowing 1 pulse per foot pulses to be fed to CIR 5.

The way in which the pulses are derived can also be seen from FIG. 2. Mains frequency is provided from the output of a transformer T2 and is doubled by a frequency doubling circuit K8. The output of circuit K8 is fed to both a divide by 6 circuit K9 and a divide by 5 circuit K10. In the case of Hz mains, the output of circuit K9 is fed to a further divide by 5 circuit K11, and in the case of 50 Hz mains, the output of circuit K10 is fed to circuit K11. In either case, the input to circuit K11 is 20 Hz, i.e. 30 pulses per foot of copy paper. The output of circuit K11 is thus 6 pulses per foot. The 6 pulses per foot pulses from circuit K11 are fed to a divide by 4 circuit K12 and also to a divide by 3 circuit K13. The output of circuit K12 accordingly provides the 1% pulse per foot pulses, which are fed to gate G15. The output of circuit K13 provides the 2 pulse per foot pulses, which are fed to gate G14. An output from circuit K13 is further divided by 2 by circuit K14 to provide the 1 pulse per foot pulses that are fed to gate G16, as well as to the weighted billing circuit discussed above.

A direct area count, in square feet is accordingly automatically recorded by counter CTR 5.

What is claimed is: 1. In a copying machine using copy paper of various widths which is being fed at a substantially constant speed and having a counter circuit for providing an indication of the area of copy paper used in the making of copies, said counter circuit comprising,

counting means for providing an indication of area, generating means for continuously generating counting signals of discrete frequencies corresponding to each discrete width of copy paper used in the copying machine,

sensing means for indicating each discrete width of copy paper being fed through the copying machine for as long as the copy paper is being fed past a fixed point,

gating means coupled to the counting means, generating means and sensing means, said gating means enabled by said sensing means for selectively passing only counting signals of the frequency corresponding to the discrete width of copy paper being sensed to said counting means for a length of time related to the length of said copy paper being sensed for accumulating a numerical count representing area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gating means comprises three gates, only one of which is enabled at any given time in accordance with a discrete width of copy paper being sensed.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensing means comprises a plurality of microswitches.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the plurality of microswitches comprises four microswitches, each having changeover contacts, and being arranged to provide three outputs connected respectively to the three gates.

5. In a copying machine which provides copies in different magnification modes on copy paper of appropriate width being fed at a substantially constant speed and having a counter circuit for providing an indication of a weighted sum of paper length used in the making of copies, said counter circuit comprising,

counting means for providing an indication of a weighted sum of length of copy paper,

an oscillating means for providing an output of counting pulses of a discrete frequency upon receipt of an input drive pulse,

a source of input drive pulses whose frequency is related to the speed of the copy paper,

a first gating means coupled between said oscillating means and said source of input drive pulses for controlling the application of said drive pulses to said oscillating means and operable to stop said oscillating means, i

a first divider means whose input is coupled to th output of the oscillating means,

a plurality of pre-set stopping means coupled to the output of the first divider means, the number of pre-set stopping means being equal to the number of magnification modes available in the copying machine,

a second gating means coupled between the plurality of pre-set stopping means and the first gating means and responsive to the particular magnification mode selected for passing an output from the pre-set stopping means corresponding to the selected magnification mode to said first gating means, said output being operable to cause said first gating means to stop said oscillating means after a predetermined number of pulses have been supplied by said oscillating means, and

a second divider means coupled to the output of the oscillating means and to the input of the counting means and operable to divide said predetermined number of pulses from said oscillating means by a fixed number and to pass any integral quotient to the counting means and to store the remainder.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pre-set stopping means comprises a pre-wired member having a pattern of conductors arranged to provide a plurality of inputs to the second gating means from at least one output from said first divider means and at least one output of a fixed supply, the pattern of conductors being such as to enable said second gating means when said predetermined number of pulses from said oscillating means have been supplied to said first divider means.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. I 3,916,171

DATED INVENTOR(S) October 28,- 1975 Peter Mattinson Thorp It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor 's last name "Throp" should read --Thorp-.

Column 3, line 21, "9" should read --a-.

Signed and Scaled this second Day of March 1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Com m issinner ofParents and Trademarks UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT NO. 2 3,916,171

DATED I October 28,- 1975 |Nv ENTOR( I Peter Mattinson Thorp It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

The inventor's last name "Throp" should read Thorp--.

Column 3, line 21, "9" should read a Signed and Scaled this second Day of March 1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner of Parents and Trademarks 

1. In a copying machine using copy paper of various widths which is being fed at a substantially constant speed and having a counter circuit for providing an indication of the area of copy paper used in the making of copies, said counter circuit comprising, counting means for providing an indication of area, generating means for continuously generating counting signals of discrete frequencies corresponding to each discrete width of copy paper used in the copying machine, sensing means for indicating each discrete width of copy paper being fed through the copying machine for as long as the copy paper is being fed past a fixed point, gating means coupled to the counting means, generating means and sensing means, said gating means enabled by said sensing means for selectively passing only counting signals of the frequency corresponding to the discrete width of copy paper being sensed to said counting means for a length of time related to the length of said copy paper being sensed for accumulating a numerical count representing area.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the gating means comprises three gates, only one of which is enabled at any given time in accordance with a discrete width of copy paper being sensed.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the sensing means comprises a plurality of microswitches.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the plurality of microswitches comprises four microswitches, each having changeover contacts, and being arranged to provide three outpUts connected respectively to the three gates.
 5. In a copying machine which provides copies in different magnification modes on copy paper of appropriate width being fed at a substantially constant speed and having a counter circuit for providing an indication of a weighted sum of paper length used in the making of copies, said counter circuit comprising, counting means for providing an indication of a weighted sum of length of copy paper, an oscillating means for providing an output of counting pulses of a discrete frequency upon receipt of an input drive pulse, a source of input drive pulses whose frequency is related to the speed of the copy paper, a first gating means coupled between said oscillating means and said source of input drive pulses for controlling the application of said drive pulses to said oscillating means and operable to stop said oscillating means, a first divider means whose input is coupled to the output of the oscillating means, a plurality of pre-set stopping means coupled to the output of the first divider means, the number of pre-set stopping means being equal to the number of magnification modes available in the copying machine, a second gating means coupled between the plurality of pre-set stopping means and the first gating means and responsive to the particular magnification mode selected for passing an output from the pre-set stopping means corresponding to the selected magnification mode to said first gating means, said output being operable to cause said first gating means to stop said oscillating means after a predetermined number of pulses have been supplied by said oscillating means, and a second divider means coupled to the output of the oscillating means and to the input of the counting means and operable to divide said predetermined number of pulses from said oscillating means by a fixed number and to pass any integral quotient to the counting means and to store the remainder.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the pre-set stopping means comprises a pre-wired member having a pattern of conductors arranged to provide a plurality of inputs to the second gating means from at least one output from said first divider means and at least one output of a fixed supply, the pattern of conductors being such as to enable said second gating means when said predetermined number of pulses from said oscillating means have been supplied to said first divider means. 